gerontology news The Gerontological Society of America®
inside this issue: •GSA’s Year in Review. . . . 2 •Policy News. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 •New Awardees . . . . . . . . . 8 GSA Launches Science and Storytelling Podcast Celebrating GSA’s 75th anniversary, Science and Storytelling is a new limited podcast series that highlights the expansive field of gerontology — featuring GSA members and some of the most consequential research findings in our discipline as well as innovations that contribute to healthy aging and promising future endeavors to improve the lives of older adults. Catch up on the following episodes now: • Disability and Aging • Health Disparities and Equity • Older Adults Are Essential Workers: Ageism and Productive Aging • Family Caregiving and Older Adults • End-of-Life Conversations and Bereavement as Normal Parts of Life • In Sickness and in Health: Romantic Relationships, Health, and Well-Being • Stigma of Dementia • Mentorship in the Field of Aging • Rural Aging • Older Adults and Housing: Perspectives on the Past, Present, and Future
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November 2021
17 Journalists from Across U.S. Awarded Aging-Focused Fellowships GSA and the Journalists Network on Generations are welcoming 17 distinguished reporters for the next cohort of the Journalists in Aging Fellows Program, now in its 12th year. They represent a wide range of general audience, ethnic, and community media outlets, including public radio and television affiliates, daily newspapers, and national publications. This year’s group brings the program’s total number of participating reporters to 202. The new fellows were chosen — by a panel of gerontological and editorial professionals — based on their proposals for an in-depth agingfocused story or series. These projects, to be produced in 2021, span such concerns as Latino health during the pandemic, rural aging, the effect of a climate crisis on one city’s older adults, how nursing homes fared during the pandemic, issues for
incarcerated older adults, one county’s effort to meet the growth of its older population, immigrant aging, using the arts to help seniors cope with pandemic experiences, retirement myths and community options, community centers as a population lifeline, and homeless older adults in the nation’s capital. The program is supported by funding from The Silver Century Foundation, RRF Foundation for Aging, The Commonwealth Fund, Archstone Foundation, and The John A. Hartford Foundation. The current cycle of the program will be conducted entirely online. It will commence with a short series of background and issuefocused educational sessions on November 3, 10, and 17. Fellows will additionally participate in GSA’s 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place from November 10 to Continued on page 6
Karasik Chosen to Lead Gerontology & Geriatrics Education Journal GSA has named Rona J. Karasik, PhD, FAGHE, FGSA, of St. Cloud State University as the next editor-in-chief of the journal Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, effective January 2022. This peer-reviewed publication is the official journal of GSA’s educational member group, the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE). “On behalf of the editor search committee and myself, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Karasik as the next editor-in-chief,” said Ishan C. Williams, PhD, FGSA, the chair of GSA’s Program, Publications, and Products Committee. “Dr. Karasik brings a wealth of experience in leadership, editorial experience, and gerontology education. Her leadership and active engagement in AGHE provide additional strengths she can draw upon — to amplify
the educational preparation and endeavors for scientists and professionals who study aging within social and behavioral contexts or those who intend to work with older adults in a variety of capacities.” Gerontology & Geriatrics Education is published and owned by Taylor & Francis. It focuses on the exchange of information related to research, curriculum development, program evaluation, classroom and practice innovation, and other topics with educational implications for gerontology and geriatrics. It is designed to appeal to a broad range of readers, including faculty, students, practitioners, administrators, and policy makers and is dedicated to disseminating cutting-edge and evidence-based knowledge in the field of gerontology and geriatrics education. “I am honored to be selected as the next editor of Gerontology & Geriatrics Education and am grateful for the unparalleled mentorship of Dr. Judy Howe, the journal’s current editor,” Continued on page 10
From the CEO From Disruption to Transformation: We’re Stronger Together
By James Appleby, BSPharm, MPH • jappleby@geron.org Our collective resiliency has been put to the test over the last year and a half. But amidst ongoing adversity, GSA members have advanced their important work — nurturing their research programs, writing grant proposals, publishing new papers, and preparing presentations for the Annual Scientific Meeting. GSA is committed to supporting our members and cultivating an environment in which they can continue to thrive. Here are some 2021 examples of how our Society has demonstrated the extraordinary power of like-minded members working together:
membership. Topics included oral health during the pandemic, immunizations and the role of shared decision making, the complex management of obesity, and the hidden financial dimensions of cognitive decline and caregiving.
Advocating for a Strong Research Ecosystem: GSA has continued to champion aging issues with the new administration and on Capitol Hill. Through our leadership role in the Friends of NIA, GSA is working to secure increased funding and initiated the #NIAFundsMe social media campaign to highlight NIA’s role in investing in innovative and impactful aging research. Amplifying Awareness of Aging We continue to advocate for funding Research: The Society’s peer-reviewed for the Older Americans Act Research, journals again boasted some record-setting Demonstration, and Evaluation Center. GSA impact factors. That’s due to the number of times articles in a journal are cited by other has participated in more than 50 Capitol Hill meetings to advocate for passage of researchers in a given year. We also foster the dissemination of aging research through the Protecting Seniors through Immunization GSA’s Journalists in Aging Fellows Program, Act; expanded dental, vision, and hearing provisions in Medicare; and comprehensive, which reached a milestone this year: universal, paid family and medical leave we welcomed our 200th fellow into the program. Our alumni have generated more for all of America’s workers. And GSA has also made important strides in advancing than 700 stories — stories that were often made possible by GSA members’ interaction the Reframing Aging Initiative, the social change endeavor that provides researchers, with the reporters. clinicians, educators, and advocates with Advancing Diversity, Equity, and new tools for shaping their communications Inclusion as a Guiding Principle: GSA in a way that increases public understanding continues to advance its DEI efforts. Thanks of, and support for, aging issues. to recommendations from GSA’s Diversity Adapting to a Rapidly Changing & Justice Working Group, the Society has implemented numerous changes to advance Environment: GSA transformed its scheduled in-person meeting to an all-online DEI efforts across the Society. And this work event in just eight weeks. By incorporating is embedded in GSA’s workplan for 2022. live, interactive presentations alongside GSA has an established policy now publicly on-demand content, this format will allow posted on its website. scholars from the U.S. and around the world Adding New Resources for Many to safely attend and engage fully in the Disciplines: GSA released a new version meeting. And GSA has supported members of its KAER Toolkit for Primary Care navigating the pandemic. We continue Teams, which supports earlier detection to publish new research in our journals of cognitive impairment and dementia. on all aspects of COVID-19 and aging, The Society also produced a new version we maintain a rich array of COVID-19of its Advancing Age Inclusivity in Higher related resources, and offer a new COVID Education toolkit. Aside from our research Conversations web series. journals, GSA published many new I look forward to “seeing” you later this practice-oriented reports relevant to broad month at the 2021 GSA Annual Scientific segments of the Society’s multidisciplinary Meeting Online. 2 • November 2021 • gerontology news
gerontology news Volume 49, Issue 11, November 2021 editor-in-chief/lead author: Todd Kluss tkluss@geron.org managing editor: Karen Tracy ktracy@geron.org associate editor: Megan McCutcheon mmccutcheon@geron.org circulation worldwide: 5,000 letters to the editor: We will publish letters to the editor in response to issues raised in the newsletter. Please limit letters to no more than 350 words. Letters should include the writer’s full name, address, and telephone number. Letters will be accepted or rejected at the sole discretion of the editors and may be edited for clarity or space. Send to: tkluss@geron.org Gerontology News (ISSN 1083 222X) is published monthly by The Gerontological Society of America, 1220 L Street NW, Suite 901, Washington, DC 20005 and additional mailing offices. Subscription for members of the Society is included in annual dues. Non-member subscription rate is $50 per year in the US or Canada. Foreign subscriptions are available for an additional $25 to cover air mail overseas postage and special handling. News items must be submitted by the first of the month prior to publication. Copyright © 2021 by The Gerontological Society of America. Articles may be photocopied for educational purposes without permission. Please credit Gerontology News. Send news items to: Gerontology News The Gerontological Society of America 1220 L Street NW, Suite 901 Washington, DC 20005 or email: tkluss@geron.org Send advertisements to: 1220 L Street NW, Suite 901 Washington, DC 20005 or e-mail: advertising@geron.org Ad rates are available at www.geron.org Advertising policy: Gerontology News accepts ads for conferences and special events, fellowships, jobs, and degree programs relevant to the field of aging. We reserve the right to reject or discontinue any advertising. Ads do not constitute an endorsement by The Gerontological Society of America.
member news In Memoriam
Miriam Kelty, PhD, passed away on June 6, 2021. She was a former associate director at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and founder of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bioethics Interest Group. A trained psychologist, Kelty held many leadership positions in her nearly 40 years at NIH. Her areas of interest included bioethics, clinical research policy, mentorship, and behavioral research. In addition to serving as associate director at NIA (a role now called Division of Extramural Activities director), Kelty served as executive secretary of the institution’s behavioral and neuroscience review. A leader in her field, she was active in the American Psychological Association and was once chief of its science directorate. After she left federal service, Kelty continued to lead the NIH Bioethics Interest Group and work as a consultant. She was also an active volunteer in her community, participating on many boards and committees and helping to establish the Washington Area Villages Exchange, which connects senior “villages” in the DC area. In 2017, Kelty was awarded the Neil Potter Path of Achievement Award for lifelong commitment to volunteer service by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center. Members in the News
• Nancy Kusmaul, PhD, MSW, FGSA, appeared in an August 24 Wisconsin Public Radio broadcast titled “Nursing Home Residents And Staff Working Through Trauma Of The Pandemic,” and was quoted on September 9 in a The 19th News article titled “The pandemic continues to strain nursing homes. What happens if a lot of them close?” • Stephen K. Shuman, DDS, FGSA, was quoted in an October 1 aarp.com article titled “How to Deal With Dry Mouth.” Colleague Connection This month’s $25 amazon.com gift certificate winner:
Josefina Mata, MBA, MPH, MS
The recipient, who became eligible after referring new member Eduardo Ochoa, BA, was randomly selected using randomizer. org. For more details on the Colleague Connection promotion visit www.geron.org/connection. Member Spotlight GSA’s website features monthly Q&A sessions with distinguished members. The current spotlight shines on:
Dakota D. Witzel
Thorpe Elevated to Provost Post at Johns Hopkins
Roland J. Thorpe, PhD, FGSA, has been named the new associate vice provost of faculty diversity at The Johns Hopkins University. In his role, Thorpe will work to advance the university’s Faculty Diversity Initiative. This includes providing infrastructure support for the Target of Opportunity Program and the Cluster Faculty Initiative, working with all diversity and inclusion deans and deans of faculty on campus to enhance support for faculty development and mentoring, and leading an expanded Provost Postdoctoral Diversity Fellowship Program. Thorpe is a professor in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society in the Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he also serves as deputy director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research, and co-director of the Health Equity and Social Justice Concentration of the DrPH Program. He holds joint appointments in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology and the Department of Neurology in the School of Medicine, and the Department of Sociology in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. Blieszner Bestowed with Top Penn State Alumni Honor
Past GSA President Rosemary Blieszner, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE, has been named an alumni fellow by the Penn State Alumni Association. As the association’s most prestigious award, it is given to select alumni who, as leaders in their professional fields, are nominated by an academic college and accept an invitation from the president of the university to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators. Blieszner received her doctoral degree in human development and family studies and is currently alumni distinguished professor of human development and senior fellow at the Center for Gerontology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She also is currently serving as interim dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech. In addition to GSA and its Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education, she is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, International Association for Relationship Research, and National Council on Family Relations. The author of six books, Blieszner has published over 80 refereed journal articles and other refereed publications on numerous aspects of adult development and aging, including friend and family relationships, spirituality, and early memory loss. Perry Earns Distinction with New Research Award
Tam Perry, PhD, FGSA, has become the first nonphysician investigator to receive the National Hemophilia Foundation’s Innovative Investigator Research Award. Perry is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Wayne State University and president of the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work; the new award supports her work with a multi-institutional team studying important aspects of aging with a bleeding disorder. The study, titled “Navigating Time and Space: Experiences of Aging with Hemophilia,” has two main aims: to examine the lived experiences and time horizons of aging persons with hemophilia (APWH) in order to characterize this community, and to enhance service delivery practice after examining needs, facilitators, and barriers experienced by APWH.” November 2021 • gerontology news • 3
policy news
By GSA Policy Advisor Brian W. Lindberg, MMHS
Teaster Discusses Ongoing Findings from the Opioid Crisis I would love to be writing this month’s column about the final congressionally passed and signedinto-law Build Back Better reconciliation bill, but Democrats in Congress are still working out the final details on the provisions. As close as they seem to be, it would be premature to lay out the provisions, some of which will make significant improvements for the quality of life for older adults. So, perhaps next month we’ll have a final Teaster package to share and analyze. But right now we can address another important topic in this column: the opioid crisis. We have been immersed in the COVID19 pandemic and related policy issues for older adults during the past year and a half plus, and it may be the case that policy makers better understand both the needs of the at-risk older population and the amazing contributions that they are making in society. But when the pandemic hit, there was an ongoing opioid epidemic — a widespread occurrence of opioid misuse and related overdoses — and it has not gone away. To provide expert insight, I connected with a long-time friend of mine and GSA, Pamela Teaster, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE. Hopefully, you have read about or heard directly from Pam on this topic at GSA Annual Scientific Meetings, and this interview will give you a sense of what has happened in this complicated policy arena during past year or so. Pam is a professor of human development and family science at Virginia Tech and director of the Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology. Brian Lindberg: It has been a couple of years since we worked together with the Elder Justice Coalition on a survey that revealed some of the terrible effects that the opioid epidemic had on cases of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Let’s start there with what you have learned since that first study. Pamela Teaster: The focus group work we did with you and Bob Blancato set in motion the two studies we conducted that followed. In 2020, we published an article on the focus groups in The Journal of Applied Gerontology titled “A First (and Disturbing) Look at the Relationship between the Opioid Epidemic and Elder Abuse: Insights of Human Service Professionals.” The focus group study explored the relationship between the opioid epidemic and elder abuse and involved 20 professionals from four states who participated in four different focus groups. Analysis revealed four themes characterizing the relationship between opioid misuse and elder abuse: (1) Opioid-Related Elder Abuse is an Escalating Problem; (2) Vulnerable Older Adults are Prisoners in Their Own Home; (3) Healthcare Professionals Perpetrate OpioidRelated Elder Abuse; and (4) Older Adults Abuse and Deal Opiates. 4 • November 2021 • gerontology news
As you recall, all participants noted the lack of reliable, retrievable data to address cases of elder abuse when opioids were involved. Findings laid the groundwork for us to conduct further research to understand the breadth and depth of the opioid/elder abuse relationship, ultimately, to develop appropriate prevention and intervention strategies and policies to address this hidden but widespread concern. Brian: Those were quite enlightening focus group discussions for me, and I was impressed with the frank responses the local service providers offered, even without the most sophisticated data collection tools. Where did you head from there? Pam: We have since conducted two more studies. The first involved de-identified regional data from the Kentucky Department for Community-Based Services, which includes Adult Protective Services (APS). We examined all substantiated cases in 2015, 2016, and 2017, collecting data using the Assessment and Documentation Tool (ADT) and conducting Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis with Bootstrapped Standard Errors. Across those years, in 2015, we found eight opioid cases, six alcohol plus other drugs; in 2016, 15 opioid cases, 13 alcohol plus other drugs; and in 2017, 10 opioid cases and nine alcohol plus other drugs. There was no significant difference in the type of substance involved in cases among younger adults or among older adults. For both opioid cases and alcohol and other drugs, older adults appeared more often the victims. Alcohol and other drugs were 62.5 percent of cases, opioids were involved in 56 percent of cases. These were trends but did not reach significance. Compared to cases in which perpetrators were not abusing substances, women were more likely to be victims of perpetrators who use other drugs and alcohol. Women were also more likely to be victims when perpetrators used opioids, but this trend was not significant. Interestingly, victims of perpetrators who used opioids were more likely to be financially exploited than were victims of perpetrators who used alcohol or used no substances and/or alcohol. Victims of perpetrators who used opioids were more likely to be financially exploited than were victims of perpetrators who used alcohol and other drugs or who used no substances. The third study, which also involved APS, is in the final stages of review. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) authorized me to discuss it. The purpose of that study was to understand the nature, extent, and challenges confronted by APS staff in providing services to clients affected by opioids. While APS serves adults ages 18 and older, this study focused primarily on cases involving older adults (i.e., persons aged 60+). The study design involved a two-step (Phases I and II) process for identifying challenges, successes, and specific issues of concern when investigating and intervening in cases of opioid-related elder abuse. Key findings were that no APS program we interviewed
policy news
Continued
had a policy specific to older adults and opioids. Most APS administrators were unable to provide data-driven responses related to the number of APS reports in a year’s time. When opioids were involved, allegations most often concerned self-neglect, followed by caretaker neglect, and facility drug diversion. As with most types of elder abuse, perpetrators of opioid abuse were typically family members, but at times facility staff were involved. A major challenge when working cases involving opioids was that the alleged perpetrator would also be present in the home as APS field staff attempted to interview the alleged victim. Other challenges included addressing the level of pain of the victim and encouraging physicians to order lab work or encountering delays in lab work that would confirm the presence or absence of opioids in the bloodstream. Most APS staff thought cases involving opioids were harder to substantiate due to the difficulty of proving if and how medication was missing and the denial of the victim if the perpetrator was a family member. APS staff identified long-term impacts that opioid misuse had on their clients: inability to have their pain managed adequately, homelessness, poverty, and, in more than one case, a hastened death. APS staff stressed that available resources were inadequate for the complexities involved in working cases involving opioids and older adults, highlighting needs for greater financial assistance, enhanced and targeted training, hiring specialists in addiction, and having resources for homeless people. Brian: This shows both a significant increase in our understanding of the abuse and opioid relationships but also that the broader opioid story may have moved off the front pages prematurely. Pam: As you know so well, Brian, what is popular in the news varies. Britney Spears has elevated the issue of guardianship when most people had no idea what it was about prior to the “Free Britney” movement and the I Care a Lot movie. The issue of opioids and its connection to elder abuse has not gone away, but improved monitoring of prescriptions and a greater understanding of the ramifications of taking the drug have reduced its misuse. Some older adults are abused, neglected, and exploited because a caregiver wants access to their opioid medication. Although abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults may not be the predominant way that older adults are mistreated, the problem is still a significant and important one. Brian: The federal government has poured billions of dollars into various agencies and their programs — what is working? Pam: This funding has just recently been distributed. I think we will know this information in a year or so. Brian: Are there other efforts you’d like to mention? Pam: Well, you might be interested in a project funded by the Retirement Research Foundation; Drs. Cory Bolkan, Holly Ramsey-Klawsnik, and I have been conducting a study on surrogate perpetrators and substantiated APS reports involving communitydwelling older adults in five states. We are preparing our first paper for peer review as I write.
Brian: Thank you so much for the update to a crisis that has likely taken a back seat to the pandemic but remains a concern of many of GSA’s members — for many reasons including the elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation related to opioid addiction by family and caregivers, and the harm that addiction causes directly to older individuals. Pam: Thank you for sharing this work with our colleagues. Brian: It should be noted that GSA is a National Partner of Allied Against Opioid Abuse, which is an education and awareness initiative to help prevent the abuse and misuse of prescription opioids. Throughout the pandemic, their work to increase education and awareness surrounding prescription opioid misuse and abuse has continued. Other resources of interest include a National Center on Elder Abuse fact sheet for health care professionals, “Red Flags of Elder Abuse,” and a Pharmacy Times article, ”Mitigating the Opioid Crisis Among Seniors During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” And GSA has several interest groups related to these issues, including: Aging, Alcohol, and Addictions; Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Older Persons; and Pharmaceutical Care and Outcomes Research.
Recent GSA Policy Actions GSA Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs Patricia M. “Trish” D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, provided updates to the GSA Family Caregivng Interest Group and the Oral Health Interest Group this month related to legislative activities for paid family leave and for expanding Medicare to cover oral, vision, and hearing health. At the time of this writing, it appears paid family leave will be cut from the Build Back Better package and only hearing health will be included as part of Medicare expansion. GSA continues to monitor activities on Capitol Hill closely and expects to publish a summary of the outcomes in an upcoming Policy News column in Gerontology News. GSA signed on to several letters to support efforts in the Build Back Better package from the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, the Medicare Oral Health Alliance, and the Paid Leave Alliance. GSA signed on to a letter from the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) in support of the Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust Act sponsored by Representative John B. Larson of Connecticut. LCAO in the past has supported Larson’s legislation modernizing and improving the Social Security Act; this bill updates the bill introduced in the 116th Congress. GSA Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs Patricia M. “Trish” D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, represented the Society at The Roundtable on Obesity and Equitable Aging organized by the National Council on Aging. This conversation focused on obesity as a chronic disease in older adults, with emphasis on the disproportionate impact obesity and related chronic diseases have on racial and ethnic minority groups. The goals of the program were to examine health inequities, stigma, policy implications, and solutions to address long-standing systemic health inequities that put older adults at increased risk. Highlights will be captured in a white paper. November 2021 • gerontology news • 5
journal news Abstract Deadline Extended for Issue on Nursing Science Interventions Innovation in Aging has issued a call for papers for a special issue titled “Nursing Science Interventions in Aging.” The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) Strategic Plan for 2022–2026 identifies three goals for nursing science: dismantling structures that perpetuate racism and impede health equity;
addressing social determinants of health using multilevel methods; and advancing precision health and health care. In this call for papers, the editors seek cutting-edge nursing science research that addresses these challenges in the setting of aging and lifespan health. Manuscripts should be empirically based but may make projections for a possible future vision for the field. The abstract submission deadline has been extended to December 1.
Continued from page 1 - 17 Journalists from Across U.S. Awarded Aging-Focused Fellowships 13, also online. The fellowship will showcase research highlights from the meeting and other sources, and host discussions with veteran journalists on how to position aging stories in the current media environment. “We congratulate the new fellows and are proud to support them in their commitment to serving communities nationwide with fact-based, topical stories on the experiences of people as we age,” said Todd Kluss, GSA’s director of communications. “By connecting them with top experts in the field, our program provides its participants with a firstrate educational overview of trends and new developments.” Kluss co-directs the program together with independent age-beat journalist Liz Seegert, who serves as program coordinator of the fellowship’s media partner, the Journalists Network on Generations. “We have another outstanding group of fellows for the program’s 12th year,” Seegert said. “The range of project proposals is impressive, and highlight many of the important topics surrounding our aging. While the fellows are not obligated to cite any of the sources or information emanating from the GSA conference, we’re thrilled to provide them with the opportunity to learn more about these issues.” Continuing fellowship grants also are being provided to allow 11 previous fellows to participate in the program and GSA’s meeting. A continuously updated list of more than 700 stories generated by the program’s alumni is available at www.geron.org/coverage.
Julie Fanselow (3rd Act Magazine) Project: How creative professionals use the arts to help people process their experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Annakai Hayakawa Geshlider (Rafu Shimpo) Project: Issues for incarcerated older people, with a focus on Asians in the U.S., intensified by the COVID pandemic. B. Denise Hawkins (Trice Edney News) Project: Why the Maryland Baptist Aged Home, and a handful of others like it, may represent a needed break with tradition — and what a new model for nursing home care should be, especially for Black older adults. Tony Hicks (Bay City News) Project: Two stories on the dynamics of older adult life in Contra Costa County (one of California’s fastest aging), with one on the political impact and the second on the changing workforce. LaShawn Hudson (WABE Public Radio’s “Closer Look with Rose Scott”) Project: Multi-part series on the COVID-19-related public health tragedy at Atlanta’s Arbor Terrace at Cascade retirement community. Elissa S. Lee (Southern California News Group) Project: What does caregiving look like in marginalized communities (particularly immigrant communities, communities of color, LGBTQ+, and disabled), and how has COVID-19 impacted care? Ronnie Lovler (Gainesville Sun) The new fellows: Project: An examination of Florida’s The Villages retirement Bobbi I. Booker (Your Philly Black News) community, including how it developed, why that location was Project: Three-part multimedia series on Philadelphia’s senior chosen, and how and why it has grown — and the contrast community centers located in low income Black neighborhoods of its older white homogeneity with the racial, ethnical, and throughout the city. generational mix found in nearby Gainesville. Ruben Castaneda (U.S. News & World Report) Lavina Melwani (Khabar Magazine) Project: In-depth story to explain both why Latinos are dying at greater rates of COVID-19, and why their rate of mortality is lower Project: “Final Destination: Last Stop on the Indian Immigrant Journey in America,” in-depth piece on the retirement options for for other causes. the 4.8 million-strong Indian-American population in the U.S. Chelsea Cirruzzo (Axios) Project: Investigative story on homeless seniors in Washington, DC, Annie Nova (CNBC) Project: “The Myth of Retirement in America,” a three-part including a national perspective. series on how the pandemic disrupted workers’ attempts to Rukiya Colvin (Planet Detroit) Project: Air pollution, heatwaves, flooding — the triple threat that’s build a nest egg; on how many people have been forced to retire before they were ready; and how unprepared for retirement so killing Detroit’s older adults. many Americans already were, and what it’s like getting by on Paige Cornwell (The Seattle Times) Project: Long-form feature and photo package on rural aging in the just Social Security. Continued on page 7 state of Washington. 6 • November 2021 2020 • gerontology news
Continued from page 6 - 17 Journalists from Across U.S. Awarded Aging-Focused Fellowships Dementia”: how miseducation and delayed care contribute to Michael Sainato (The Guardian) poor outcomes for women of color with dementia. Project: A focus on the workplace issues older populations face in the U.S., including the aging discrimination they face in job hiring, Ian Torres Santa Ana (Telemundo Oklahoma) Project: A three-part series on how COVID-19 affected Hispanic how they’re treated in the workplace, and the increasing need to seniors, including a look at the psychology of isolation, how a work past their intended retirement age. recreation center brings together Hispanic older adults around Latino Carly Stern (The Washington Post) culture, and how service gaps left by the pandemic will be closed. Project: “What Women of Color Need to Know About
espo news
The Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization includes all student and transitional members of GSA.
Chair: Darina V. Petrovsky, PhD, RN Vice Chair: Danielle Waldron, PhD Vice Chair-Elect: Kalisha Bonds, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC Past Chair: Jamie N. Justice, PhD
Get to Know Your Junior Leaders: Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education Hello from Yan-Jhu Su and Lauren Bouchard, your Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) junior leaders! Yan-Jhu, the first year junior leader, is a second year doctoral student at University of Massachusetts Boston. He is originally from Taipei, Taiwan. He had his first master of art degree in violin performance at University of Miami and then came to Lesley University to study Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Music Therapy. He completed his second master’s degree with Su the thesis, “Music Interventions for Chinese Patient with Parkinson’s Disease: Alleviating Symptoms through Artsbased Interventions.” Beside the academic work, he also completed his clinical training as a music therapist at Hebrew SeniorLife during his second master degree. Yan-Jhu’s current research interests are Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, Parkinson’s disease, mental health of elders, aging policy, and long-term care. Lauren, the second year junior leader, is currently a doctoral candidate at Concordia University in Chicago and is completing her dissertation on social relationships, identity, and resilience in aging. She completed a master’s degree in clinical-counseling psychology from Illinois State University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Lauren has published on educational topics, religious/faith communities, LGBT older adults, and medical cannabis. In addition to research, she teaches “Dying and Death” and “Gerontology and the Life Course” at Chaffey College in Southern California. Lauren enjoys using media, humor, and levity in teaching tough topics. This year, Yan-Jhu and Lauren are co-chairing the AGHE symposium, “New Normal: Incorporating Unconventional and Creative Ideas into Gerontology Curriculum,” at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting Online along with other emerging scholars. Some topics included in the symposium are utilizing TikTok for conversations about ageism, connecting music and gerontology, assessing student nurses views, attitudes, and beliefs via documentary film, playing “House Hunters: Gerontology Style,” and using debate in classroom discussions about current events. This symposium is
a great way to add some new activities to your gerontology coursework! AGHE aims to support new and seasoned educators. As junior leaders, we aim to bridge the ESPO community to opportunities in AGHE. AGHE has many offerings for students and emerging scholars — for example, check out available awards including the Student Bouchard Paper Award, Student Leadership Award, and the James McKenney Student Travel Award for next year’s conference! Additionally, AGHE offers teaching resources such as 75+ Resources for Gerontology Education, updated Standards and Guidelines for Gerontology and Geriatrics, and Teaching Briefs (to name a few). We hope to “see you” and connect at the online conference. If you have any questions on AGHE/ESPO collaborations or how to get involved, please contact Lauren Bouchard at lboucha22@gmail. com or Yan-Jhu Su at YanJhu.Su001@umb.edu.
Ph.D. in Integrative Social Work Develop the leadership and research skills needed to transform communities Learn more at
saybrook.edu November 2021 • gerontology news • 7
2021 awardees The following summer awardees are being honored at various events associated with the GSA 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting Online. The Society salutes the outstanding researchers below for their contributions to gerontology and thanks the selection panels for their time and efforts in choosing the recipients. Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education Rising Star Early Career Faculty Award Candace S. Brown, PhD, MA, MEd University of North Carolina, Charlotte Graduate Student Paper Award Susan L. Brilliant, MBA, MSG California State University Long Beach Part Time/Admin Faculty Honor Karon L. Phillips, PhD, MPH Trust for America’s Health, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland Global Campus Part Time/Admin Faculty Honor Katie Kutcher, MA University North Carolina Charlotte
Mildred M. Seltzer Distinguished Service Honor Jennifer Mendez, PhD, FAGHE Wayne State University, School of Medicine Mildred M. Seltzer Distinguished Service Honor Harvey L. Sterns, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE The University of Akron James McKenney Student Travel Award Daphne Chakurian University of Missouri James McKenney Student Travel Award Rachel Kunkle University of Nebraska Medical Center
Administrative Leadership Honor Maria L.G. Henke, MA The University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
James McKenney Student Travel Award Danielle Llaneza University of Houston, Rutgers University
Mildred M. Seltzer Distinguished Service Honor Jan Abushakrah, PhD, FAGHE Portland Community College
James McKenney Student Travel Award Valery R Crespo-Matos University of South Florida
8 • November 2021 • gerontology news
James McKenney Student Travel Award Christine Lee University of New England James McKenney Student Travel Award Morgan Inman University of Prince Edward Island James McKenney Student Travel Award Xin Yao Lin Brandeis University James McKenney Student Travel Award Austin Oswald CUNY Graduate Center James McKenney Student Travel Award Meghan McDarby Washington University in St. Louis James McKenney Student Travel Award Anthony Villalba University of Akron
2021 awardees Behavioral and Social Sciences Section Student Research Award, Pre-Dissertation Julia S. Nakamura, BS University of British Columbia
Student Research Award, Dissertation Weidi Qin, PhD, MSW, MPH University of Michigan
TJ McCallum Memorial Student Travel Award Yijung K. Kim, PhD The University of Texas at Austin
Biological Sciences Section
Boaz Kahana Student Poster Award Minzhi Ye, MA Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging/Case Western Reserve University
Hiroko UmegakiCostantini, PhD SciencesPo
Health Sciences Section
George Sacher Award Lei Zhang, PhD University of Minnesota
Research Award Ryan J. Dougherty, PhD Johns Hopkins University
Person-In-Training Award Rebecca C. Ehrenkranz, MPH University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Austin Bloch PostDoctoral Fellow Award Kyle D. Moored, PhD University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization Interdisciplinary Paper Award Daniel R.Y. Gan, PhD Simon Fraser University
Poster Award Shirley Li, BA University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Poster Award Dakota D. Witzel, MS Oregon State University
Poster Award & Minority Issues in Gerontology Advisory Panel Student Poster Award Danielle L. McDuffie, MA The University of Alabama
Poster Award Julia Nolte, MA, MSc Cornell University
Poster Award Lei Zhang, PhD University of Minnesota
Douglas Holmes Award Sarah D. Holmes, PhD, MSW University of Maryland School of Nursing
For information on GSA’s awards, visit www.geron.org/membership/awards 2021 • gerontology news • 9 November 2020
educational news Student Profile: A Journey to Become a Gerontologist By Donnette R. Narine, PhD student, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (dnarine1@umbc.edu) A flyer from my mentor’s trip to an aging conference introduced me to a field I had no idea existed — gerontology. Today, I am an international student from Grenada in the gerontology PhD program at University of Maryland Baltimore/Baltimore County (UMB/UMBC). I will be the first gerontology PhD in Grenada — a small island country in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 110,000 people. In this essay, I am sharing my motivation to study gerontology, my experience as an international student, and my future goals. When I was a master’s student in the clinical-community psychology program at St. George’s University in Grenada, inspired by personal events, I requested an aging-related practicum. This practicum included psychoeducational and psychotherapy sessions for nursing home caregivers; neuropsychological assessment of nursing home residents; and a needs assessment of resources available to older adults. It was a fulfilling and insightful experience. I knew I had found my niche, but gaps in my knowledge and skills were evident, motivating me to pursue doctoral level training in gerontology. I was immediately drawn to the UMB/UMBC gerontology PhD program, because it offered a social-cultural-behavioral sciences track, and the intercampus feature meant access to a range of resources that would support a truly interdisciplinary approach. Words cannot express how ecstatic I was to be accepted into the program, but then the COVID-19 pandemic catapulted our lives into a virtual space. I was less than thrilled about online learning, but I adapted—connecting with my classmates and professors and
immersing myself into this new and exciting world of gerontology. The pandemic also gifted me extra time at home—to celebrate a milestone birthday with my mom, meet my new nephew, and share countless other precious moments with family. I have since moved to Maryland. I miss my home and my family, but I also have a new home and program family here. Our faculty is genuinely caring and invested in our personal and professional development. My cohort is a supportive group of lively personalities who make me smile and help me navigate the nuances of a new culture. So, although I get homesick at times, I am motivated by support from within my program, as well as encouragement from back home, along with the reasons I decided to pursue this program. I chose this field of study because I want to be better equipped to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of agingrelated services in my home country. This interdisciplinary, research-focused doctoral program has set me on a path to do just that by already markedly increasing my knowledge base and strengthening my research skills. The goal is to be a mixed-methods researcher with a focus on social connections, aging and health. The dream is to open an aging research center in the eastern Caribbean — a hub for intergenerational programs and age-friendly initiatives. I believe my aspirations have found a space to thrive in this doctoral program, and I remain excited about my journey to becoming a member of the next generation of gerontologists.
Continued from page 1- Karasik Chosen to Lead Gerontology & Geriatrics Education Journal
Karasik said. “I look forward to working with GSA and the editorial team as we strive to uphold the journal’s excellent standards and continue to build on its attention to diversity, innovative educational approaches, interdisciplinary and inter-professional collaboration, and translational work emphasizing application of educational research and content. Under Dr. Howe’s leadership, Gerontology & Geriatrics Education has grown significantly in readership and impact, and stands out as the premier scientific journal for pedagogy in gerontology and geriatrics.” Karasik is a professor and director of the Gerontology Program at St. Cloud State University. She has more than 30 years of experience developing and teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in areas of aging related to dementia, health, ethics, housing, community and diversity. Her current research focuses newsnews 8 • •October 10 November 2021 2020 2021 • gerontology • gerontology
on gerontological pedagogy, and she has published extensively on service-learning, internships, and integrating anti-racist pedagogy into the gerontology classroom. She is also co-author of the edited volume “A Hands-On Approach to Teaching about Aging: 32 Activities for the Classroom & Beyond.” Karasik has worked with Gerontology & Geriatrics Education as an author, reviewer, and associate editor for gerontology education. She has served on the national executive boards of both AGHE and Sigma Phi Omega (the international academic honor and professional society in gerontology). She has twice participated in the updating of the AGHE Standards and Guidelines for Gerontology Programs and has been the recipient of several teaching honors, including the AGHE Distinguished Faculty award.
funding opportunities RRF Updates LOI Process The RRF Foundation for Aging has announced a change to its letter of inquiry (LOI) submission deadlines. To provide invited applicants more time to prepare a full proposal, RRF is moving its LOI submission deadline two weeks earlier. Deadlines for full proposals and funding decisions remain unchanged. The next deadline to submit an LOI is now November 15. RRF will review and respond to LOIs by mid-December. Organizations invited to submit a full proposal will have three deadlines to do so: February 1, May 1, and August 1. Due to the change in deadline, RRF’s LOI application portal is now open. This will allow applicants to submit earlier, with the possibility that RRF may be able to provide feedback sooner. The foundation’s grantmaking is focused on four priority areas: caregiving, economic security in later life, housing, and social and intergenerational connectedness. On a selective basis, it also remains open to considering compelling applications on other topics. Proposals for direct service projects are considered from organizations based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin, or Florida. Advocacy, training, and research projects, all with national relevance, are considered from organizations in any state. Organizational capacity building requests are accepted from nonprofits located in Illinois.
Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Offers Grants on Cognitive Assessment A new funding opportunity announcement has been issued by the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC), which was was initiated by The World Economic Forum and The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease and launched January of this year. DAC is orchestrating an ambitious global effort to combat the Alzheimer’s crisis by linking, scaling, and building on existing efforts across every sector mission through three key initiatives: Global Cohort Development, Global Clinical Trial Platform and Healthcare System Preparedness. The funding opportunity is part of the Healthcare System Preparedness initiative, and the team has issued a request for grant proposals to support innovators that implement and evaluate a solution that increases rates of cognitive assessment for older adults — and ultimately improve detection of Alzheimer’s disease in healthcare systems worldwide. DAC’s intention is to award up to $2M USD to approximately three to five innovators in spring 2022. The deadline for the initial submission, a brief concept paper, is December 1. Candidates selected to move forward will be asked to provide a full proposal following the review of the concept paper. These candidates will be notified mid-January.
new resources Visual Advocacy Piece Aims to Include Hearing Coverage in Medicare The Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health has produced a new graphic narrative titled “What Do You Mean Medicare Doesn’t Cover Hearing Aids?” It was authored by GSA members Frank R. Lin, MD, PhD, and Nicholas Reed, AuD, along with Molly Sheehan and Ian Sampson. Developed to explain the policy issues around Medicare hearing care coverage, the graphic narrative is intended to be used as an advocacy piece as Congressional leaders undertake efforts to expand Medicare to potentially include hearing (as well as vision and dental) coverage. It is distributed in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Hearing Loss Association of America, and GSA. DEC Toolkit Aims to Help Providers Support Diverse Caregivers The Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC) has released a new resource, “Caring for Those Who Care — Resources for Providers: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers Toolkit.” The toolkit offers information on what providers need to know about meeting the needs of diverse family caregivers and key pieces from DEC’s comprehensive training curriculum, “Caring For Those Who Care: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers.”
The toolkit includes fact sheets and diverse family caregiving resources such as information on national caregiving resources, ten things to know about language-access advocacy for older adults, and COVID-19 resources for diverse family caregivers. The toolkit was created by the six members of the DEC with funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation. New Public Facing Website Provides Information on Alzheimer’s Disease The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has launched a new website, www.alzheimers.gov, designed to educate and support people whose lives are touched by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This is the federal government’s portal to information and resources on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal disorders, and vascular dementia. The new website includes resources for community and public health workers, health care providers, and researchers; information about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment; tips and resources for caregivers and people living with dementia; clinical trials and studies people can join to help advance ways to treat and prevent dementia; and updates on what the federal government is doing to address Alzheimer’s and related dementias. November 2021 • gerontology news • 11
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